California Cancels All Combat Sports Events Until June
There will be no combat sports events taking place in the state of California until June.
The decision was made by the California State Athletic Commission on Thursday amid the coronavirus pandemic that has put the world at a standstill.
“The Commission didn’t take this decision lightly and understands the potential economic loss to promoters and the industry of combative sports,” the CSAC statement said (h/t ESPN). “We had to weigh the best interest of our fighters and the community around us.”
In addition, the CSAC says the decision was based on guidelines from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health “to protect Californians against the possible spread of COVID-19.”
So what does this mean? For a start, UFC San Diego will not be taking place.
That event was set to be headlined by a lightweight contest between Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker on May 16. Now it will either be postponed or canceled entirely.
Bellator MMA also had two events set to take place in May in California; however, the promotion recently decided to postpone three of its upcoming events.
With the UFC having plans for other events in May such as in Lincoln and Oklahoma City, it will be interesting to see if other states follow the lead of California.
What do you make of California canceling all combat sports events until June?
